Top officials from Ukraine’s Special Communications Service dismissed, charged with embezzlement

The Ukrainian government has dismissed the head of Ukraine’s State Special Communications and Information Protection Service, Yurii Shchyhol, along with his deputy for digitalization Viktor Zhora.

The Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske reported the dismissals on Monday citing the government’s parliamentary representative Taras Melnychuk.

Later on Monday, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced that the Special Communications chief and his deputy had been charged with embezzling more than 62 million hryvnias ($1.7 million) in state funds.

According to the investigation, the two officials colluded with an unnamed businessman to embezzle funds allocated for the purchase of equipment and software in 2020–2022. The director and an employee of a state-owned enterprise subordinate to the Special Communications Service were also charged in the embezzlement case. If convicted, the six suspects will face up to 12 years in prison.